Established in 1996 by the Children's Advocacy Institute, Lawyers for Kids are attorneys, law students, and others in the legal community who have taken the opportunity to:

Use their talents and resources as advocates to promote the health, safety, and well-being of children.

Assist CAI's policy advocacy program.

Work with CAI staff on impact litigation by offering expertise in drafting amicus curiae briefs.

Make a membership contribution to benefit CAI's work, enabling staff to continue efforts to improve the health and welfare of our state's kids.

Invite others to join Lawyers for Kids.

Members can tailor their level of participation in the program, from simply making a financial contribution, to responding to legislative alerts issued periodically by writing or e-mailing state officials regarding pending measures, to actually participating in impact litigation.

A membership contribution is an annual gift equivalent to:

One billable hour for practicing attorneys

or $100 for government/public interest lawyers

or $50 for lawyers practicing less than 5 years

or $10 for law students

Members will receive a Lawyers for Kids license plate frame.

Once you join Lawyers For Kids, you can participate in CAI's advocacy programs in a variety of ways:

Policy Advocacy/Legislative Alerts. CAI tracks state legislation covering several issues areas for children, ranging from child support to juvenile justice to nutrition. CAI's Senior Policy Advocate will periodically alert you to important pending legislation affecting children, and provide names, phone numbers, and e-mail addresses of legislators whose votes are crucial. Response to legislative alerts will require no more than 15 minutes of your time.

Test Litigation with CAI Staff. Participation in litigation is on an ad hoc basis. CAI has leveraged change on a mass scale through litigation. CAI welcomes such assistance and will contact members when cases arise that may be of interest.

Legal Research. Members of Lawyers for Kids provide CAI with legal research assistance on a wide range of topics.